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No 7 mower rebuild

Chadwick Holmes

Posts: 618

Location: Volant, PA

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posted 8 years ago

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So I bought this mower rusted up from the original owners grandson, been working on it for a couple of years off and on, wish I had a beginning pic but I found one that is a reasonable proxy. But it's getting there so....you can just see the one rusty wheel in the background of the second picture, that was the surface quality of the whole thing!

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Chadwick Holmes

Posts: 618

Location: Volant, PA

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posted 8 years ago

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Removed all the shafting and gears from the gear box, scraped the 100 yr old dried oil out. Degreaser the entire outfit inside and out, then scraped and wire brushed, and sanded the whole thing down to good metal before painting.

The factory exact color paint was 5 times the price so I just did standard rustolium red white and black, look just as good.....I'm not picky!painted with a brush nothing fancy, but I did do several coats so it won't need done again.

The sickle bar is in at an Amish fellows shop who does that for a living, you know support local folks and all, plus he's better skilled at tuning up the clearances than I am so....

I'll add photos as I get the mechanical workings put back on!

Kevin Elmore

Posts: 67

Location: West Texas - near Big Bend National Park

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posted 8 years ago

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Beautiful work!!

Chadwick Holmes

Posts: 618

Location: Volant, PA

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posted 8 years ago

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Thanks!

David Steinbach

Posts: 7

Location: Central NY

posted 8 years ago

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Did you have any trouble getting out the tapered bolts holding the axle to the main gear/pawl holders? If so what did you do to get them out? I have a no.7 and those bolts won't budge.

Chadwick Holmes

Posts: 618

Location: Volant, PA

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posted 8 years ago

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Mine weren't too bad, so I didn't do anything special.

I know that the counter intuitive approach is to punch the taper in the wrong direction first, both because it might macerate the rust, and because you can hit that side without as much risk of peening threads.i would find replacement bolts then heat the axel and put a good ouch to it.

You have probably tried those, but you never know who finds this in ten years.....

Chadwick Holmes

Posts: 618

Location: Volant, PA

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posted 8 years ago

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Got the bar back from the implement guy, it looks good!

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Chadwick Holmes

Posts: 618

Location: Volant, PA

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posted 8 years ago

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We are getting close, I need a wear plate, and toung and a few applications of grease and oil! Finished pics coming soon!

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David Steinbach

Posts: 7

Location: Central NY

posted 8 years ago

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Original owner's manual said to use 4 qts of SAE 20 in the gearbox and not to use heavy transmission oil, just FYI.

By the way, I noticed the nuts are all on top of the bar. I assume they are tapered nuts. What thread size are the bolts and where did you get the nuts and bolts from?

R Scott

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Location: Kansas Zone 6a

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posted 8 years ago

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I have never seen serrated sickle sections like that. Do you have a link or name I can search?

Also, why the under sections on the inner section of bar instead of guards?

"You must be the change you want to see in the world." "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." --Mahatma Gandhi
"Preach the Gospel always, and if necessary, use words." --Francis of Assisi.
"Family farms work when the whole family works the farm." -- Adam Klaus

Chadwick Holmes

Posts: 618

Location: Volant, PA

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posted 8 years ago

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That's why I took it to the sickle bar guy here!

The bolts are a combo of countersunk and carriage bolt so that they sit flush on the bottom they are sickle bar bolts purpose designed.

I'll get the info on the sections, he said he cuts 5 acres of hay and after 2 years they are still sharp. But he said no one sharpens them because of the shape of the bevel, I'm gonna try with a round file.

The three open guards at the inside of the bar allow you to cut and lay the grass without the grass board, this way it all dries more evenly than having that end piled up by the board.

R Scott

pollinator

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Location: Kansas Zone 6a

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posted 8 years ago

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Chadwick Holmes wrote:That's why I took it to the sickle bar guy here!

The bolts are a combo of countersunk and carriage bolt so that they sit flush on the bottom they are sickle bar bolts purpose designed.

I'll get the info on the sections, he said he cuts 5 acres of hay and after 2 years they are still sharp. But he said no one sharpens them because of the shape of the bevel, I'm gonna try with a round file.

The three open guards at the inside of the bar allow you to cut and lay the grass without the grass board, this way it all dries more evenly than having that end piled up by the board.

Thanks.

The top serrated sections I have seen have a much finer serration, good for alfalfa but horrible in grass. These look like they would work in grass. The other top serrated are "self sharpening" as they wear.

R Scott

pollinator

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Location: Kansas Zone 6a

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posted 8 years ago

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And could you post a picture of the bottom of the bar so I can see how those under sections are mounted?

Thanks!

Chadwick Holmes

Posts: 618

Location: Volant, PA

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posted 8 years ago

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Yeah, the sections are the cutters those are riveted, I'm thinking you mean the guards, with the countersunk bolts right?

My phone is warming up, it dies in the cold then we will have some finished photos!!

Chadwick Holmes

Posts: 618

Location: Volant, PA

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posted 8 years ago

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Ok the cutter sections are $10 a pack, I got a picture......then a pic of the bar components....

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Chadwick Holmes

Posts: 618

Location: Volant, PA

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posted 8 years ago

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More parts

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Chadwick Holmes

Posts: 618

Location: Volant, PA

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Ok now some finished pictures, all it needs is a Clovis to be pulled by a tractor (until I get a barn for a team)

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Chadwick Holmes

Posts: 618

Location: Volant, PA

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posted 8 years ago

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All he had were pre painted tongues I would rather an ash tongue be tongue oiled, the original purpose for that oil......but there will be time for that, I might even run it through the jointer to clear the paint.....anyway, it's done! If we get the property it will be put to use!

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Chadwick Holmes

Posts: 618

Location: Volant, PA

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posted 8 years ago

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The manual

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R Scott

pollinator

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Location: Kansas Zone 6a

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posted 8 years ago

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AWESOME! Thanks for sharing.

Chadwick Holmes

Posts: 618

Location: Volant, PA

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posted 8 years ago

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Yep, now we gotta convince the wife that we need a team of horses! Hahaha

David Steinbach

Posts: 7

Location: Central NY

posted 8 years ago

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Nice work! I think you'll find that you need a grass board and stick once you start mowing. The stub guards are nice, I have them on mine too, but you still need the action of the grass board to clear the way for the inner shoe and wheel. Do you still have the original draft rod and draft bracket? I notice its not on the tongue yet. I have an "after market" one on mine.

David Steinbach

Posts: 7

Location: Central NY

posted 8 years ago

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Also, what did you use for a gasket in the gearbox cover? I've been using permatex but I don't like that it also glues it on.

Chadwick Holmes

Posts: 618

Location: Volant, PA

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I figured I might still need a board, but I was gleefully hopeful!

My gasket came out in one piece and is still quite thick and plyable so I put it in again (more hopefulness) if I need to replace it I will likely use a sheet of closed cell foam and cut out a new one.

When I bought this it had a stub tongue set up for tractor drag, I will likely make a new tractor hitch and stub it a bit longer. Then get a new tongue when I get ahold of some horses. I don't like it but......

Chadwick Holmes

Posts: 618

Location: Volant, PA

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posted 8 years ago

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Looking at dragging this with a tractor I thought well I don't need the bracket for the doubletree, but thanks to David Stienbach for asking because that distributes the tension.....so I got an aftermarket draft bracket and rod......it chain it to the hitch till I get horses....

Thanks for the catch David!! You saved my tongue socket from busting!

David Steinbach

Posts: 7

Location: Central NY

posted 8 years ago

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I don't know much about pulling these with tractors. I know they made the Trailer Gear for that purpose with short tongue etc. I've heard you dont' want to go too fast but I really don't know how bad it is or if that's just internet mythology. Also, I know you can get an aftermarket steel grassboard for these that supposedly work well. I have a wood board and stick on mine because I like the looks and they work well.

When you were rebuilding this did you happen to inspect or remove the axle roller bearings in the frame? I suspect a problem with mine and was wondering about your experience with them. I know they have a split outer race and the right/center is different from the left.

Chadwick Holmes

Posts: 618

Location: Volant, PA

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posted 8 years ago

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I took it all apart, but this machine was only used for 2-3 yrs before the family got a tractor, so everything was still quite nice. I will say it's a lot to take apart and get lined back up. I would call them barrel type roller bearings.

My tractor is a 1957 farmall cub, so speed will be less of a factor than if pulling with a modern tractor! It's slow!

David Steinbach

Posts: 7

Location: Central NY

posted 8 years ago

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Did you ever find any casting dates or letters on the frame or in the gearbox?

Chadwick Holmes

Posts: 618

Location: Volant, PA

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posted 8 years ago

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Oh yes, each part has a letter/number cast in it, including the frame, I found them on all the large castings.....

If you are having trouble with those roller bearings I would deal with it now. They are a lot easier to deal with if they are not burnt, or seized onto the shaft.

David Steinbach

Posts: 7

Location: Central NY

posted 8 years ago

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Sorry, what I meant about the casting is that did you come across a date/year stamp anywhere on the frame? Your farmall probably has a month-day-year cast into the engine block for example. Supposedly the #9 mowers have the manufacture date cast into the main frame but I could never find one on my #7.

Chadwick Holmes

Posts: 618

Location: Volant, PA

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posted 8 years ago

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Oh, sorry, no I found part numbers but no date type markings, this is a fairly early 7 so, they may have started that in later production runs....

Paul Stevens

Posts: 1

posted 6 years ago

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Chad, nice job on this restoration. We are working on adding all the Amish replacement parts for IHC #7 and #9 mowers to our online store. We would like to obtain permission to use some of your pictures as reference examples as we list the parts and where they go on the mower.

Thanks

Paul

Andrew Kottenstette

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posted 6 months ago

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Thanks for posting your project. I came here to research my own. I bought a 3 acre place west of Rye, Colorado 20 years ago and the previous owner left a McCormick - Deering on it with his widow. The realtor bought it from during my purchase, bit he never picked it up.

Since my cell phone reception is pretty lousy I sometimes go out and sit on it because it is a high spot. It looks in pretty good condition other than the wood portions. I do carpentry and painting in the city 30 miles away, so I imagine rebuilding a tongue is not beyond me, I just have no idea of the correct dimensions.

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